Obama: Israel has 'right to defend itself' against attack

US President Barack Obama speaks about Ukraine at the White House in Washington, Credit: Reuters\Larry Downing

President Barack Obama has repeated his assertion that Israel has the right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas militants but said he has serious concerns over the growing number of civilian casualties resulting from the conflict.

"We have serious concerns about the rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths and the loss of Israeli lives, and that is why it now has to be our focus and the focus of the international community to bring about a ceasefire that ends the fighting and that can stop the deaths of innocent civilians."